Sunday 25 October 2015

A random ten


















Joining in with Annie for a few random paragraphs.

1. I love, love, love quotes. I have a notebook where I write down the good ones. My favourite this week, from Anna Lappe, is "Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want". I found it over at Oh Dear Drea, and it's stuck with me.

2. I used to have eighty or so houseplants when I lived in a light airy top floor flat. An older chap I knew said it reminded him of his time in Burma. They didn't really mix with small boys though, so now I have very few. But I still like the look of greenery dotted about the place.

3. I can't stand it if something on the shelf is slightly askew. I HAVE to get up and put it right. Things have to be just so. A touch of OCD maybe.

4. Sugar is not agreeing with me at the moment, I can feel moments of low blood sugar. I need to cut most of it out of my diet. I know I'll feel heaps better when I do.

5. I also need to run regularly. It's a new thing, but it seems to help, mentally, physically, and when it comes to sleeping better. I had a particularly sedentary few days at the end of last week and I felt quite grotty. I run first thing in the morning though, and now that it's chilly I struggle to get myself out of bed. Then I feel cross all day that I haven't made the effort. Must try harder.

6. I think I've had enough rugby. We've not watched masses of it, and I still haven't learnt anything at all about the rules or what's going on. I've got as much comedy mileage as I can out of loose heads, tight heads and hookers and I'm ready to move on.

7. The middle boy is still fishing obsessed, and as luck would have it I discovered a programme (Earth's Wildest Waters: The Big Fish, BBC2, 8pm, Sunday) that appears to be like Great British Bake Off only it's fishing instead of baking. Am letting him watch a bit of that, although it's rather exotic (Iceland, Cuba and Laos so far) and it might make our chilly canals seem a bit on the dull side.

8. I'm wondering if I should have a weekly menu plan and a list of potential interesting blog posts and other top organisational strategies in place. Does it all really make life easier and time more economically spent? Should I stop winging it? In this house I am known for winging everything, it's pretty much my catch phrase. That and "If it's free, it's for me". If I tie making lists in with cutting out sugar and going running it will almost be like the new leaves of New Year. In October. Is this wise?

9. The children brought home a new school dinner menu the other day. In the middle of the traditional dishes of Pizza With Various Toppings, Beef Burger and the ever popular Fish Fingers, is Butternut Squash and Lentil Korma with Wholegrain Rice. Goodness. Literally. 

10. Photos from Bath, again. Autumn has swept across the leaves and left the parks glorious in orange and yellow. Squirrels were working overtime to get the nuts stashed away. When the rain stopped and the sun came out everything lit up. The littlest boy had a crushing disappointment when a promised pizza didn't happen (the middle boy had a tummy ache). The littlest boy chuntered and stomped his way back to the car. I couldn't really hear much of what he was saying, except the odd word, "pizza", "fair", "want" - that sort of thing. He's almost over it now.

33 comments:

  1. I'm off to Bath on Friday - it is a beautiful city isn't it. Love your quotes!

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  2. My houseplant tally is diminishing rapidly. I've always had them too so I don't think it's me who is killing them, it must be the low light levels in a cottage. At least watering doesn't take so long..

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  3. 80 house plants?! I have one spider plant that is just about holding its own! Squash and lentil korma sounds yummy; shame about that pizza though. Have a lovely half term. xx

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  4. Such disappointment for the littlest one, and I'm sorry that the middle boy had the collywobbles (sp??)
    I love quotes as well and small poems..one of my favorite is titled Fleas and I believe that Ogden Nash is the author.
    To quote the poem Fleas, Adam
    Had 'em

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  5. I used to have lots of house plants too, but somehow they didn't mix well with children - at any stage of their development. But now they've sort of left home they, the house plants, are creeping back in. And what is really nice is that my children's student houses have the progeny of some of my favourites. I'm trying to think of a quote about house plants but all that comes to mind is the novel "A Few Green Leaves" by Barbara Pym and the scene in a church where a flower arranger is adding a few green leaves to make the most of, I think, winter roses. Lighter mornings now CJ so hope you feel motivated to go for a run or two this week.

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  6. I'm pretty much a winging it person too and truly, it is not working out too well. I think October MAY be a good time for a new leaf turning .....or maybe Nov. 1. Nov 1 is a Sunday --- always good to start fresh, right?

    Sorry Littlest didn't get his pizza. I'd be pretty chuntered at my brother too. LOL Glad he's getting out of it. ;-)

    Have a wonderful new week. Your photos (as ALWAYS) are simply beautiful.

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  7. Go for winging it CJ. I sometimes do menu plans etc and then feel awful for falling of the wagon. Usually after a couple of weeks. I haven't run for weeks now, just can't be bothered. Good for you to get up in the morning and put your runners on. Have a lovely week. xx

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  8. oh! I want to go to Bath again now! my memories of Bath are of a busy tourist city - I love this quieter, more reflective side of the famous city. wonderful.
    wow - point 1 certainly is food for thought. and I definitely agree with point 3. it drives me mad sometimes but I definitely can't walk past anything not in line.

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  9. I think you have a lot of good thing.. the ability to run.. the feeling to cut back on sugar and the thing that makes you straighten things.. all good things. Loved the photos and how Autumn is showing itself there. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  10. Bath looks so beautiful. It's on my 'to visit' list. Speaking of lists, yes to meal plans (shopping becomes easier and cheaper) but the blog post one never seems to work out...
    I have three houseplants, a rose-scented geranium and two cuttings from it. My mum gave me the original (a cutting from her plant). She always had them and I've no idea where she used to get them from. But my spindly cuttings are starting to flourish and they mean a lot to me.
    Oh, and I'm terrible for making minor adjustments to things I see from the corner of my eye. It usually takes several attempts to sit down and relax before I finally get there...
    Have a lovely week.
    S x

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  11. I feel grotty when I haven't been for a good walk with the dog. I used to run but have got out of the habit. I get what you mean, though. I love your number 1. She's quite right but not everyone can choose to spend money in Waitrose :-) I've got two house plants - ubiquitous spider plants. I'm not very good at indoor ones. Shelves should look good - they are on display. My middle child wants to join the local rugby club and get muddy and bruised each week. I'm not delighted but feel I can't discourage him from sporting activity. I've been meaning to have a good supply of family weekly menus for about 10 years and haven't got round to it. Winging it is fine. My heart went out to your littlest boy whose heart was set on pizza. Boys are great, aren't they? Hope he's got over it and your middle one is ok. X

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  12. Super photos CJ. Autumn has been stunning this year hasn't it? Love the 10 random facts. I too need to get back into exercise, I agree that exercise makes me you feel so much better in so many ways. i once considered a weekly meal plan but decided it was just too organised for me, it would bore me knowing what I was eating in 6 days time!
    Caz xx

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  13. It's looking very novemberish here since the rain, as it does in bath in your pics. Glad running is proving beneficial. I run in the later afternoon which has just got earlier. Lists- useful when the doing of them doesn't add to stress :-) xx

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  14. I often feel like I should stop winging it and make a plan, but it never seems to happen. I know what you mean about feeling guilty about not exercising, I don't run, my knees hate it, but I feel much better after a brisk walk, I really should do it every day but it's just not happening. Must make that plan. x

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  15. Lovely photos & randoms I should do a random post but I will need some new photos & there is nothing random about that! I will side with your youngest son about his lost pizza opportunity but hope his older brother is on the mend. My moans back to the car are also punctuated with fabric, wool, it was on offer & extremely not fair!! Hope you all have a super week x

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  16. Very good - great photos and interesting comments. No pizza must have been a bitter disappointment.

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  17. Eighty houseplants? Wow. I have three orchids and two of those haven't bothered to flower this year.

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  18. A touch of OCD here too! I am always straightening or adjusting things round the house. Commiserations to the littlest boy.

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  19. I only wish I were capable of winging it, about anything. It goes against everything in me and I wish it didn't because it seems like it would be fun to let go once in a while and just let life happen. Maybe we should collaborate. :) I'm sorry to hear about the missed pizza; I understand how he felt. I'm sure he'll be thrilled next time the chance comes around. I'm the same about crooked things, such as pictures on the wall. I can spend all day straightening, standing back, squinting...it drives me nuts!

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  20. With me it is pictures askew that I can't resist straightening.

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  21. I can only wing it for part of the week. I give myself no more than 3 days out of the week to wing it otherwise things dissolve into chaos. We don't think it does at first but then we look at each other with wild tired frantic eyes trying to figure out what happened. We both cook but we both get home relatively late so it's good to know what the team plan is.

    Honestly I always feel so hard pressed for time, I don't even know if I'm capable or organizing anything more than a dinner plate.

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  22. I still don't get the offside rule in rugby... after YEARS... stick with fishing!

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  23. I always feel better after a run. I have the OCD thing going on too. I like the quote - definitely a good thought to keep in mind.

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  24. I too don't like to get up of bed when it gets cool. We must go to a gym to exercise and that is over 25 minutes away.
    You have beautiful Fall colors in all those trees. Beautiful photos!

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  25. Gorgeous photos of Bath, wonderful architecture, Autumn leaves and the stone footpath is really lovely. I enjoyed your comments and quotes, I don't understand football at all and yes I too like to straighten objects that are askew.
    I hope your littlest boy gets his pizza next time, at his age it would have been a big disappointment.
    Happy week dear C.J.!
    xoxoxox ♡

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  26. Hey CJ,
    It's all about winging it here, my friend. I have strong feeling that it always will be. I don't have a single plant in the house, which is odd. Has your boy seen any of the Robson Green (soldier, soldier tv prob fame) fishing shows? They are quite entertaining.
    Leanne xx

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  27. I've missed reading your thoughts. I'm grateful for the longer little nap times Avalon is having so I can read them here and there again. I love the quote you posted too. I think I heard it first from the movie Forks Over Knives, if I remember correctly. Have you seen it? I think you'd find it interesting.

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  28. An enjoyable post and lovely pictures. Your random ten made me smile, I especially like numbers 2 and 3. What a wonderful word 'chuntered' is that you use in number 10. xx

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  29. I used to make a menu plan for the week and use it to make my shopping list..... I can't believe I did that now, as I am completely in the land of winging it. It would be nice to do it again but with a teenage daughter it just wouldn't work. Plus we are visiting father in law in hospital at the moment and so sandwiches feature large in our eating (confess I am enjoying the ease of this) .

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  30. Love your random 10 and gorgeous photos. Go for a menu planner. I go through phases with and without. If I'm truthful I feel much more organised with the plan and I definitely have much less waste food that I buy without a plan and then don't get round to using without a menu plan..Good luck. B x

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  31. Bath at my favourite time of year ... after all these years I still miss it sometimes ... looking at those pics was one of them.

    I wing everything ... I think it makes life more interesting ... of course if I didn't wing everything I might also be less stressed.

    I loved your ten.

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  32. I have managed not to watch any rugby despite being in a rugby-watching household. Do have a menu planner! It was the only way I could get through being a full time working mother. Now that the children have left home/are at uni, we started out by abandoning planning and it was chaos. Lots of cereal was eaten, while simultaneously saying to daughter at uni 'I hope you're not just existing on cereal'. She gave us a ticking off when she found out.

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  33. Fab list of randoms CJ, I really enjoyed these. I haven't run for months and am so looking forward to getting back into it when my hours go back to normal at work. It's true, it makes you feel fantastic. We plan five or so meals a week and shop for those. I honestly don't know how I'd ever get dinner on the table if I didn't! x

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